What I learnt in Spain

Just back from a week in Madrid with Jonathan Glazer, Brazilian futebol ace Kaka, four 3D camera rigs and a crew of just over 100 on a shoot for Sony Bravia. It was a tough but fun week and I learnt a lot.
1. Making TV commercials is hard. That's why I stopped doing it nearly 10 years ago and that's why it would take a team of especially strong wild horses to drag me back into it again. Doing what we do - the Making Of the commercial - is much easier and much more fun!
2. Jonathan Glazer is alright. He probably deserves all the hype and he remains approachable and friendly. Creatively, he has a strong sense of what he wants and he keeps going until he gets it. This 3D commercial should be amazing.
3. Kaka is not as good at football tricks as I thought he would be. But he is much better at performing on camera than I thought he would be so I guess we are evens. And he is a nice guy.
4. Mike James is a terrific cameraman and is very good company on a long shoot. I knew this already but it is always good to discover that something as crucial as this is still correct.
5. The rain in Spain falls wherever and whenever it feels like falling. And last week it fell everywhere, a lot, and it was accompanied by enormous and very uncomfortable hailstones.

New Proudfoot Showreel

At long last, our new showreel is ready to view. This is just a taster - a full reel of our very best work is available by contacting simon@proudfoot.tv

Enjoy.

Triumph and Disaster

Rudyard Kipling means a lot to millions around the world. He has certainly helped us to treat those two imposters, triumph and disaster, just the same. We recently had cause to test our even-handedness; a couple of weeks ago we celebrated Golden Wednesday, the proudest day in the short history of the Proudfoot Company. On Golden Wednesday, 20th January, we were the busiest we have ever been with 4 shoots on the same day in London, New York and Brazil. Just a few days later the company was visited by disaster. On Friday 29th January, a day henceforth and for ever more known as Fridge Friday, the company fridge was destroyed because of foolishness and lack of patience. Remember friends - when defrosting a fridge, put down that knife!

Fan-tashe-tic

Thanks, friends, colleagues and family, for all your support throughout the month of Movember. I am genuinely humbled by the level of generosity and I have been amazed by the rich variety of jokes (and abuse) aimed in my direction. I am particularly grateful to my gorgeous wife who has been unfailingly polite to me for the entire month whilst obviously hating the thing and refusing to show it any affection.

I wish I could say that all the kindness and generosity has made the month easier - 30 days is scarcely a long sentence, after all - but a moustache is a unpleasant, itchy beast that should be kept in a box in a locked cupboard, not publicly displayed on one's top lip. Mine is also extremely ginger. But in just a few hours it will all be over and, who knows, maybe I will miss it just a little bit.

But I doubt it.